Bizarre Stick Insect

Rain Brings About Sci-Fi Looking Stick Insect Visitor

Humans are always looking for the unusual out in space, in the oceans on a rare occasion just walking into your kitchen presents an outlandish looking insect, here is the Stick Insect I found last night making itself quite at home.

Stick Insect measured body length of approximately 30 cm (the length of a standard ruler), had very long antennae at approximately 8 to 10 cm, walked around on extremely long legs having no wings. The abdomen was most unusual with a circular tip, never having seen one previously a lot of research to share.

This walking stick insect had done the rounds during the night, after finding him on the kitchen cupboard, he walked across the room, climbed up the cupboards on the opposite side, in the morning I woke up and found him hanging around on the wok. Insects should not be indoors, lifting gently onto a kitchen towel, delivered him safely into the vegetation outside.

Roses, bromeliads, guavadilla (South Africa, passion fruit, known locally as Granadilla purple skin (the yellow variety as Guavadilla)), with plenty of twigs around to blend in, now you see it in nature, if you did not know it was there you would more than likely walk right past it thinking it to be another twig.

How good is your eyesight? Here is a short clip on the Stick Insect in my garden, just hanging around. They do not bite or sting, walk to where they need to be will be eaten by birds (not sure but lizards most probably eat them as well).

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Stick insects can shed and regenerate their limbs to escape attacks by predators

Should a bird or other predator grab hold of a its leg, the stick insect can still make an easy escape. The imperiled insect simply gives up the leg, using a special muscle to break it off at a weak joint. This defensive strategy is known as autotomy. Juvenile stick insects will regenerate the missing limb the next time they molt. In some cases, adult stick insects can even force themselves to molt again to regain a lost leg.

Stick insects can reproduce parthenogenetically, without the need for males

Stick insects are a nation of Amazons, able to reproduce almost entirely without males. Unmated females produce eggs that become more females. When a male does manage to mate with a female, there's a 50/50 chance their offspring will be male. A captive female stick insect can produce hundreds of all-female offspring without ever mating. There are species of stick insects for which scientists have never found any males.

Stick insects not only look like sticks, they act like them, too

Stick insects are so named for their effective camouflage among the woody plants where they feed. They're typically brown, black, or green, with stick-shaped bodies that help them blend in as they perch on twigs and branches. Some even wear lichen-like markings to make their disguise more authentic. Stick insects imitate twigs swaying in the wind by rocking back and forth as they move.

Stick insect eggs resemble seeds scattered about the forest floor

Stick insect mothers aren't the most maternal of insects. They typically drop eggs randomly on the forest floor, leaving the youngsters to whatever fate befalls them. Don't be so quick to judge mama stick insect, though. By spreading her eggs out, she lessens the chance that a predator will find all her offspring and eat them. The eggs resemble seeds, so carnivorous predators will be less likely to take a closer look. Some stick insects actually make an effort to hide their eggs, sticking them to leaves or bark, or placing them in the soil.

Nymphs usually eat their molted skin

Once a nymph has molted, it's vulnerable to predators until its new cuticle darkens and hardens. The castoff skin nearby is a dead giveaway to enemies, so the nymph will quickly consume the shriveled exoskeleton to get rid of the evidence. The stick insect nymph also recycles the protein by eating its molted skin. It took a lot of energy to grow that exoskeleton, so there's no sense in letting it go to waste.

Stick insects don't bite, but they aren't defenseless

If threatened, a stick insect will use whatever means necessary to thwart its attacker. Some will regurgitate a nasty substance that will put a bad taste in a hungry predator's mouth. Others reflex bleed, oozing a foul-smelling hemolymph from joints in their body. Some of the large, tropical stick insects may use their leg spines, which help them climb, to inflict some pain on an enemy. Stick insects may even direct a chemical spray, much like tear gas, at the offender.

Stick insect eggs may attract ants, which then collect and store the eggs in their nests

Stick insect eggs that resemble hard seeds have a special, fatty capsule called a capitulum at one end. Ants enjoy the nutritional boost provided by the capitulum, and carry the stick insect eggs back to their nests for a meal. Once the ants feed on the fats and nutrients, they toss the eggs onto their garbage heap where they continue to incubate safe from predators. As the nymphs hatch, they make their way out of the ant nest.

Not all stick insects are boring brown

Some stick insects can change color, like a chameleon, depending on the background where they're at rest. Stick insects may also wear bright colors on their wings, but keep these flamboyant features tucked away. When a bird or other predator approaches, the stick insect will flash the vibrant wings, then hide them again, leaving the predator confused and unable to relocate its target.

Stick insects can play dead

When all else fails, play dead, right? A threatened stick insect will abruptly drop from wherever it's perched, fall to the ground, and stay very still. This behavior, called thanatosis, can successfully discourage predators. A bird or mouse may be unable to find the immobile insect on the ground, or prefer living prey and move on.

Stick insects hold the record for longest insects in the world

In 2008, a newly discovered stick insect species from Borneo broke the record for longest insect (which had previously been held by another stick insect, Pharnacia serratipes). The Chan's megastick, Phobaeticus chain, measures an incredible 22 inches with legs extended, with a body length of 14 inches.

Sources:

Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, by Stephen A. Marshall
The Insects: An Outline of Entomology, by P.J. Gullan and P.S. Cranston
This Article shared from: https://www.thoughtco.com/fascinating-facts-about-stick-insects-1968575

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